


Fireworks and Sunny Afternoons

by whatanaccidentwaitingtohappen



Category: Keeper of the Lost Cities Series - Shannon Messenger
Genre: F/F, M/M, Other, dadwin mention, i actually kinda like this?, oh and please call me sam, read and review please
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-03
Updated: 2021-02-03
Packaged: 2021-03-14 14:55:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,140
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29173002
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/whatanaccidentwaitingtohappen/pseuds/whatanaccidentwaitingtohappen
Summary: The story of how two boys fell in love amidst sunny afternoons and war.
Relationships: Fitz Vacker/Keefe Sencen, Mentioned Sophie Foster/Biana Vacker
Comments: 2
Kudos: 17





	Fireworks and Sunny Afternoons

**Author's Note:**

> I'm pretty proud of this! It was published on ffnet too, but it didn't work out. Let's hope it works here!

Fitz Vacker was all of eleven years old when he made a new friend.

His name was Keefe, and he was funny.

Fitz’s dad had told him to make friends with Keefe. Fitz didn’t know why, because _who_ would want to make friends with someone who wasn’t a regular student at school?, but Fitz asked Keefe whether he wanted to come over after school to play Base Quest anyway.

Keefe didn’t know what Base Quest was, which was odd, because who didn’t know base quest? But Biana helped him explain the game, and they spent many a happy afternoon after school running through the trees, trying to find each other.

When Alvar would come home, Keefe would ask him about the pranks he pulled when he was at school, and he and Fitz would try to recreate them at Everglen.

* * *

Fitz was thirteen when they played the truth or dare game where Biana dared Keefe to kiss her. We all know about that, so there’s no need to go through that. What we will go through is what came after...

...They played spin the bottle, which is always a bad idea.

The bottle landed on Keefe when Fitz spun it, and he blinked. Blushing a little, they leaned forward, just a little peck on the lips.

It felt like fireworks and sunny afternoons, and Fitz didn't know why.

They refused to look at each other for the rest of the night.

For weeks after, Biana would start giggling crazily whenever she saw the two of them.

* * *

Fitz was fifteen when he found Sophie. She had brown eyes, which was pretty unique... oh, who are we kidding? It was never seen before.

Fitz could tell she was special. After Sophie was taken to Havenfield, Fitz hailed Keefe and told him about the mysterious new girl.

_“She’s got brown eyes, Keefe! Brown eyes! and she grew up with humans! That’s so cool, Keefe!”_

Turns out, Fitz was right. Sophie was special. Special enough to get kidnapped and tortured by- the Black Swan? Fitz didn’t know.

He’d gone to her planting, and Dex’s too, and then there was a loud _Fitz!_ echoing through his mind, and then there was Sophie and Dex at the Four Seasons Tree- they were fine. Faded and hurt, but fine.

* * *

Fitz was sixteen when he was impaled by a giant bug.

Keefe had come over to his bed while he was recovering, and told him, “A giant bug, Fitzy? Really? Come on, I know you can do better.”

He’d laughed when Fitz had weakly swiped at him, but his expression soon became serious and he said, “Fitz, I know I joke a lot, but... get well soon, yeah? I need my partner in crime back again.”

He’d run his hands through Fitz’s hair and Fitz leaned into the touch, hugging Mr Snuggles closer. Keefe had left after that.

* * *

Keefe was breaking. Fitz knew he was. They’d been through so much together, from Keefe joining the Neverseen to being slashed by Dimitar to Tam joining the Neverseen, and so much in between. But it was the fateful London trip that we all know about that finally tipped Keefe over the breaking point.

“Keefe? Can I look through your memories in case there’s something we’ve missed?”

Keefe let him, and as Fitz looked through the memories, he realized that there were some with cracks through them. Specifically, memories with his mother in them.

Fitz’s breath hitched, and he stared at the cracks. And stared. And stared. Keefe was breaking.

_Hold on, Keefe. I’m going to try something._

_What are you-_

Fitz tuned out the rest of Keefe’s sentence, focusing on the emotional center of his brain. Without Sophie, he wasn’t as good at this, but he could try. He channelled all his happy memories with Keefe and Biana, before Sophie and Gisela and Alvar and the Black Swan and the Neverseen, toward the memories. He heard Keefe gasp, but he concentrated on the bliss he found in the afternoons and slumber parties.

He slowly opened his eyes, and found ice blue eyes staring right back. “Wow,” both of them whispered, and that was what set them off. They laughed loudly and freely, like they used to, before the Neverseen took over the normal lives they once led.

* * *

Keefe just _wasn’t waking up_.

His mom had sent him into a coma under the impression that it would give him a new ability. Why?

Fitz sighed, his hand in Keefe’s. He’d managed to finally get Sophie to get a bath and some sleep by telling her Biana was going to stop by later. Everybody knew the two girls liked each other except the two girls in question.

Anyway.

Fitz was sick of it. He wanted to go back to normal, simply playing in the trees and having midnight feasts. He shut his eyes and transmitted, _Keefe. I miss you so, so much. Please come back. I’m waiting. We’re waiting. Come back. I miss you. I- I think I love you; you know that? I think I’ve loved you for years now, starting with a tiny little crush when you kissed me. You’re-_

Fitz felt a subtle shift in Keefe’s mind.

He opened his eyes to find Keefe staring back. “Me too,” he whispered.

The kiss felt like fireworks and sunny afternoons.

* * *

The Neverseen had been defeated.

Fitz was twenty-two and he was staring at the love of his life coming down the aisle.

Elwin was with him, and he smiled at Fitz as Keefe stood in front of him, a suit making him look all proper.

Magnate Leto was officiating the wedding ceremony.

“Do you, Fitz Vacker, take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband?”

“I do.”

“Do you, Keefe Heslege, take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband?”

“I do.” His smile was brighter than the sun.

“Then you may kiss the groom.” They didn't even wait for permission.

During the bouquet toss, Keefe threw the flowers up and they landed square between Sophie and Biana’s linked hands. They blushed and there were cheers and wolf-whistling, the latter probably from Marella.

Keefe leaned over, asking for a dance. His smile was beautiful and felt like _home._

They kissed in the middle of the dance floor.

It felt like fireworks and sunny afternoons.

* * *

One night, you peek into their bedroom. There’s no one there, what’s the harm? You see a painting of a sunny clearing in a- grove, perhaps? hanging above the bed.

There’re two boys sitting in the clearing, and in the painting’s corner, you can see a tiny note saying ‘ _Marry me? We can have all the sunny afternoons and nighttime fireworks in eternity together’_. And you will hear voices and laughter ringing out from the trees nearby.

It makes you smile.

Fireworks explode in the starry sky.

**Author's Note:**

> So, how was it? Constructive criticism welcome! I'm @anaccidentwaitingtohappen on tumblr, come say hi!


End file.
